


Baby Shower

by SusieBeeca



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F, Feral Behavior, Fluff, Gem Egg Hell, Gem OCs, Gemlings, Gen, Rated teen for some nudity, gemling ocs - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-04
Updated: 2019-10-04
Packaged: 2020-11-23 20:49:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20895902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SusieBeeca/pseuds/SusieBeeca
Summary: Rose gets to meet Pearl and Bismuth's litter of newly-hatched gemlings. She's not sure who's the most nervous.





	Baby Shower

“So, um, here we are!”

Pearl squeezed Rose’s hand as she guided her into the nursery, but quickly let go when she heard the first warning growl; before Rose could speak, Pearl jumped between her and the now half-feral Bismuth. Despite her trembling hands, the tightness in her thighs, she managed to speak gently. “Bismuth, darling, it’s okay.” Petting Bismuth’s bicep, she used the tone she’d practiced so many times before, her voice soft like burnished leather: “You remember Rose, don’t you, sweetheart?”

The growling didn’t subside, but Bismuth did close her lips over her bared teeth. Pearl sighed in relief when she noticed a glint of sentience return to her lover’s eyes. This whole ordeal had been difficult on everyone, and she knew she had to take advantage of the few moments of Bismuth’s clear-headedness before the pheromones took over again. Trying to sound cordial, Pearl smiled and subtly signaled to Rose to keep put. “Would you like to say hello?”

Bismuth finally stopped growling. Then she swallowed. When she spoke, her voice was cracked from under-use, but it had a light trace of joviality to it. “…Rose.”

Rose was biting her lip, trying as hard as she could to meet Bismuth’s eye… and not stare down at the gemlings crawling all over her. How frightening and fascinating all at once! “Yes,” she said quietly. Then---“I’ve missed you, Bismuth.”

The silence loomed, and Bismuth’s pupils slowly dilated to the deep pools of wildness that had marked the latter half of her pregnancy. One of the gemlings squeaked, and she yanked the tiny creature closer, her lips pulling back again.

Realizing the window of Bismuth’s lucidity was closing, Pearl wiped her sweaty palms on her leggings and gave her mate’s shoulder a firm squeeze. “Haha! How adorable,” she said with a weak chuckle, and tightened her grip; she wasn’t sure if it was her sharp nails or her scent that pulled Bismuth back to rationality, but she was grateful it had worked. Since past experiments had shown that conversation was a good way to keep a nursing gem _compos mentis_, Pearl leaned down and asked her a few whispering questions, all the while holding one arm outstretched to keep a barrier between Rose and her potential demise. 

Pale fingers hissed over taut, sweaty muscles, and Pearl’s ginger curls tickled at Bismuth’s cheeks. The words passed between them meant as much as the tiny, tender touches. Smiling, Rose kept her distance and watched the exchange; the conversation was short and choppy and hushed, but when Pearl righted her back, Rose beamed. _It was time._

“Now, let’s get acquainted.” Pearl turned to Rose and forced her smile to soften, then dipped low into a curtsy. “Rose Quartz, this is Bismuth and her---er, OUR gemlings.” She turned to her mate and smiled even wider. “And, Bismuth, um… you know this is Rose Quartz. So, um.” She coughed, then cleared her throat. Stars, how it rasped. “Why don’t you introduce the babies?”

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Rose lowering to one knee. Her belly squeezed. The sensation inside her felt like a hot starburst, and it sent tingles of joy up to her head and her chest and all over her being. Rose---her sweet, precious Rose---was going to meet her children.

Rose smoothed her skirts over her legs and held out a hand. “Um… Hello?”

All of a sudden Bismuth’s eyes darkened. The muscles flexed through her torso, veins popping out, and again she flashed her teeth. Her voice sounded like rocks in an avalanche. “_**You hurt them, and I’ll fucking shatter you.**_”

“A-ha! Ha ha. How sweet! N-nothing like a mother's love!” Pearl blurted, beads of sweat soaking her forehead. Before they’d hatched, Biggs, impulsive as ever, had decided it’d be funny to step between Bismuth and the geodes---and her poofing had not been pretty. The thought of that happening to Rose made Pearl shudder. She dropped to all fours and spread her arms. “I’ll introduce you.”

Pearl held out a hand, and giggled when the first gemling waddled up to her. Picking her up by the scruff, she spent a moment cooing until the little one’s chirrups went from alarmed to calm again; then, cupping her in her palm, she glanced over her shoulder at Rose. Pride was swelling in her chest as she said “See? This one’s Spiny.”

Rose reached out, but stopped when Spiny made a high-pitched trilling noise. She squeaked and squirmed until Pearl half-heartedly put her down. The moment she did, Spiny went galloping back to Bismuth and buried her tiny face in the crook of her elbow.

“I’m sorry,” Pearl mumbled as Rose sat back on her haunches. “It’s nothing personal! They’re just not used to strangers.”

“It’s fine, Pearl,” Rose said with a small smile.

They were both surprised when Bismuth spoke again. “Can’t rush these things,” she said with her typical chortle; then she sat back, apparently not caring when the blanket fell from her shoulders, baring her torso. Pearl blushed and turned away, even though she’d seen that glorious vision many times before. Rose, however, didn’t react beyond smiling even wider. 

Bismuth never took her eyes off of the intruder---not when she scooped her babies up in her huge hands, not when she placed two of them on her shoulders, not when she tucked one into her innie gem, and not even when she held one up to her breast. Rose’s eyes widened, and the blue flush on Pearl’s face ran right up o her hairline. The gemling fidgeted a moment before turning her tiny face to Bismuth’s nipple, and instinctively latched on.

Rose gasped. “Oh my.” The little one’s toes curled up in delight, the stillness of the small room broken only by tiny smacks and gulps as the baby quietly nursed.

Pearl had to duck her head to her chest to hide the strange atavistic look crawling up her features. “Amazing, isn’t it?”

“Indeed,” Rose replied, and she shuffled just a bit closer.

When Bismuth spoke again, it was in a grumble. “Hey, Rose? Most gems buy me a drink before staring like that.”

Instead of looking away, Rose just smiled softer. “I’m not looking at your chest, Bismuth. I’m just… Oh!” She paused when one of the babies slid from her mother’s shoulder, down her arm, and then out of her protective grasp. 

“Try not to make any sudden movements!” Pearl exclaimed, but she soon saw she had no need to worry. The baby didn’t look as frightened as her sister had been; she hesitated, squinting her eyes as she tried to assess the situation. Slowly, making sure not to startle, Rose held out her hand, her face warm and welcoming.

Pearl put her nail between her teeth and watched, her throat tight. Every muscle in Bismuth’s body was coiled, ready to spring into action, but there was just silence as the gemling toddled her way forward. When she was a hair’s-breadth away, she reached out and put her tiny hand on Rose’s finger. The tension loomed, heavy and thick, until broken by a miniscule chirp. 

The baby looked up, first to Bismuth, then to Pearl; when they nodded, she grinned and hefted herself up and into Rose’s palm.

“Oh my stars,” she murmured. She didn’t dare move, her eyes fixed on the creature before her. She actually had to reach down with her other hand to grip her wrist to keep from trembling. The gemling cocked her head, eyeing her, and then curled up in a ball, her thumb between her lips. She purred, smiling, and nuzzled against Rose’s skin.

Pearl looked like she was about to burst with happiness. “Oh, she likes you!”

Bismuth snickered. “That’s my Lox!” she said proudly.

Rose stared into those bright little eyes. The gemling---“Lox”, apparently---had her arms curled up in front of her, obviously a little nervous, but her face was lively with curiosity. She was a pint-sized Bismuth, but instead of dreadlocks her long hair was in rainbow plaits---probably Pearl’s doing. As they gazed at each other, Lox grabbed one of her braids and brought it to her mouth, chewing.

“No! No, sweetie, no!” Pearl was on her in a second, snatching her out of Rose’s hand. She used a finger to swipe the hair from her baby’s mouth and gently scolded her. “We talked about this. No eating your braids, okay?”

Lox let out a squall of irritation, but Rose wasn’t paying attention. By this time the other gemlings were edging forward, emboldened by their sister’s actions. Rose laughed, her cheeks flushing, as the babies started pawing at her skirts.

“Oh, look at them all,” she whispered. She brought a hand down to pet them, but they shrunk back, so she withdrew it and let them move at their own pace. When she looked up to their mothers, her whole face was flushed and glowing with delight. “Oh, Pearl, Bismuth… you must be so happy.”

Pearl sighed. “We’re more than happy. _We’re thrilled._”

Bismuth tensed, but she kept still as she watched her children swarm around Rose; the strongest of the litter was already halfway up her thigh.

Rose giggled as she watched the youngsters clawing their way up to her lap. It tickled both her skin and her soul. “They’re so beautiful!”

Pearl was bounding on her heels, barely able to contain her excitement. “That one’s Chomper!” she said as she pointed to the fuzzy-haired one that was using her teeth as much as her hands to climb.

Bismuth snorted and rubbed the bruises dotting her breast. “You get _one_ guess why she’s called that.”

Smirking, Rose nodded and gently patted the top of the baby’s head. “I’ll try to keep out of biting range.”

The smallest of the bunch had been having trouble climbing, and when she slipped from Rose’s knee, her patience came to a screeching halt---she put her fists over her freshly-opened eyes and burst into tears. Though Pearl darted forward, Bismuth got to her first, scooping her up in her hands. She brought the baby up to her face, and with a voice so low, so tender it barely caressed the air, she soothed her child, nuzzling their noses together. 

The mist in Rose's eyes was making them shimmer.

Pearl tucked her chin over Bismuth’s shoulder and stroked her baby’s hair with her thumb. “She’s always been so full of emotions,” she said as her gaze drifted back to Rose. “She cries at the drop of a hat.”

“Yeah. Reminds me of someone,” Bismuth responded, giving Pearl’s nose a tweak.

Rose tuned out Pearl’s indignant retort, because the gemlings that had been on her lap had discovered her hair and were beginning to crawl up through her curls like little chipmunks, and oh _stars_ did it tickle. Laughing, she held her hands out to catch them if they fell, but her thick tresses were easier on tiny hands than her skirts, and within minutes they’d reconvened on the top of her head. A weird crown of wriggling gemlings.

“You look ridiculous.”

“Bismuth, stop. She looks wonderful.”

Rose grinned. “I think I could get used to this.”

“Oh no,” Bismuth said with a huff. “Don’t you go getting any ideas, now.”

Though Pearl looked a little wary, she kept her commentary to herself. 

Finally calm again, Teeny turned to the sound of her sisters’ chirping, and her eyes grew when she saw them all standing atop this new stranger, their arms held out to her and cooing for her to join them. Bismuth gingerly moved her closer to Rose, one hand still petting her fluffy hair. “Let’s try this again. Maybe if I put her on your lap, she won’t---”

And then the gemling lept from Bismuth’s hand. Pearl let out a shriek of fear when she saw her baby fly through the air---but Teeny had good aim, because she landed face-first into Rose’s cleavage. 

Though Pearl’s knees were knocking, she had to laugh along with both her lover and her confidant. Rose gingerly poked at the little legs that were sticking out from between her breasts. “At least she had a soft landing!”

“See? See?!” Bismuth shouted. “I _told_ you she takes after Pearl!”

**Author's Note:**

> Aaaah my first official gemling fic! I've been meaning to write something like this for awhile, and it really ended up being a lot of fun. Yes, the title is kind of a pun, and I'm not sorry for that ;)
> 
> As always, thanks for reading!


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